Flashes of Light
by StatsGrandma57
Summary: The last part of the family visit on Naboo. It can be safely said that a good time was had by all.


FLASHES OF LIGHT

Leia had been dozing when Han came back to their hotel room, but not strongly enough that she didn't hear him. She opened her eyes, and in walked a smiling, slightly drunk Han Solo.

"Did you have fun?" Leia asked.

"I killed Aunt Emerla," Han said, giving her his best grin.

"I'm sure that went over well," Leia remarked dryly.

"Actually, the old girl says good challengers are few and far between." He was quite pleased with himself. "It's really more fun to play with people you don't know that you can clobber. She had me running a few times." He stripped off his clothing, pulled on a pair of lightweight sleep pants, and settled into bed, just kissing Leia and feeling the warmth of her body, the softness of her skin. Sometimes, that was all they wanted, just to touch each other and know that the other was right there. They kissed tenderly and fell into an exhausted but happy slumber.

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The next day was theirs to enjoy. The women were planning a surprise event, and Han had had a little too much to drink the night before. Both of them sat in their recliners on the deck of the hotel swimming pool, just relaxing, soaking in the warmth of the fun (Leia completely covered in sun cream).

"I think your family's nice," Han said to Leia. "Exhausting, but good people."

"I'm glad. I was pretty nervous before meeting them."

"One of the reasons I didn't tell you till we were on the _Falcon_."

"They certainly have taken a liking to you."

"Well, no one's thrown anything sharp and/or heavy at me so far," Han laughed.

Leia smiled at him. "The kids are crazy about you."

"I just have fun with 'em."

"And in the not too distant future, you're going to have one of your own to have fun with." She extended her hand and he took it in one of his.

"Leia, I can't even describe how happy that makes me."

She gazed at him tenderly. "I'm glad I found out that I really wanted to be a mother. Of course, I could do without the nausea."

"How long does that last?" Han asked.

"Well, Sola and Pooja say it usually lets up after the third month. Here's hoping. Sleep helps."

"And I plan to make sure you get enough," Han informed her.

"Unless you can change Mon Mothma's idea regarding a normal workday, that might be a challenge."

"What's her deal, anyway?"

"There are rumors that her lover was killed in the early days of the Rebellion, and that she was never the same after that. But it's pure speculation and anything I hear from Rogue Squadron is automatically suspect."

"Ah, they're fun guys," Han said.

"Who are mostly just talk."

"You've heard the Smugglers' Guild guys and you know they're even worse."

Leia had to laugh. "Some of those guys just happen to be girls."

"Yeah, but they've been around for so long, I just think of 'em as the guys."

"I think they think of themselves that way as well."

"Sapphire's got a guy, but he's a surgeon, not a smuggler. Nice guy, met him once. Sapphire was a lawyer and was using her money to put him through school, but then she got sick of the whole Imperial bullshit and because she'd always been a good pilot, she decided to try her hand at smuggling. Caryn and Corvus are the constantly undecided couple. I know Sando's always looking for love in all the wrong places."

"All of them really helped in the Rebellion efforts."

"Yeah, well, no one in our guild had any love for the Empire, so getting 'em to join us wasn't that hard." He sipped a cold beverage. "I'm glad those days are gone. Yeah, there's still pirating out there, but it's getting less and less prevalent and makes flying a hell of a lot more fun."

"I'm just hoping we can make it work. Anyway, it's really nice to be away from that."

"I'll say." Han leaned back in his recliner, smiling.

"I'm going to miss these people when we fly back," Leia said. "I feel...somehow a little more...connected. And that, Han, was a tremendous gift from you."

"I feel as if they're fine with me the way I am. Who could ask for more?"

"In some ways, I wish we didn't have to fly out tomorrow."

"Actually, when you hear where else we're going, you just might."

"Oh?"

"We're taking a couple days on Serob Six."

"Really? I've always wanted to go there!" It was a water planet, but human inhabited and home to some of the best luxury resorts in the galaxy.

"See, I really do pay attention when you talk."

"And apparently even when I don't."

"What can I say? I'm detail oriented."

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Han and Leia napped for a while.

"I had no idea visiting relatives could be so exhausting. Of course, let's face it, I don't have a lot of experience in that area," Han said as the two got ready to head for Sola and Darred's home. Darred was an architect, and Han was interested to see what sort of home he'd designed for his family.

"I agree. But they're really nice people, and I'm so glad you did this for me," Leia said as she applied a touch of makeup to her eyes. She didn't wear a lot; Han hated the look of heavy cosmetics, and she herself had never been fond of it, beyond experimenting as a teenager. She shuddered to think of how she'd troweled it on with Winter, both of them looking like cheap whores on payday. But it made her laugh as well. "And they love you as well."

"You'll have to forgive me when I say that this is a new experience for me," Han laughed. "I'm still adjusting to the concept. But I think it's nice, knowing we're not all alone in the universe."

"You haven't pissed anyone off," Leia laughed.

"Which has to be a first."

"Well, you certainly do have a way with people."

"C'mon, let's see what the big secret celebration's all about," Han said, offering his arm.

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As Han had anticipated, the home of Sola and Darred was beautifully designed. It was small - like Coruscant, real estate prices were high and and the population was large.

"Really nice place," Han said to Darred as he and the older gentleman enjoyed an Alderaanian ale in the kitchen. "You designed this yourself, I'm assuming."

"I did. We used to live in a larger place, which I also designed, but this suits Sola and me better now. There's enough room for the grandkids to sleep over, which was all we wanted." Darred laughed. "How does it feel, knowing you'll be a father in not too many months?"

"It's great. And terrifying."

Darred smiled. "That sounds right. I'm the oldest of ten kids; in a short time there'll be more relatives here than you count. I took care of my younger siblings, and I thought I knew something about kids, but the minute Ryoo was born, everything I thought I knew flew right out the window. What really amazes me is how much they are themselves when they're born. We can help shape them, of course, but they really do come with their own personalities."

"I'll keep that in mind. At least you had siblings."

"You mentioned that you had no relations that you knew of. I hope you'll always feel welcome with us."

"Thank you. So what's with all these women filing in?"

"Well, seeing as we have two pregnant ladies among us, Sola and Ryoo decided to throw them a baby shower."

"A baby...shower?"

Darred smiled amiably. "It's meant to help prepare the parents to get ready by having necessities on hand. You wouldn't believe how much stuff you need with babies. It's mind blowing. Don't worry, we won't be hanging with them. Fick and Arun and you and I'll play some sabacc while we wait for Aunt Emerla to get sick of the shower - which barely takes any time - to join us."

"It was fun running up against her. Always better with a worthy opponent."

"Funny, that's how she described you." Darred laughed. "Aunt Emerla is my mother's sister. I think she was the bane of her parents' existence. She did attempt marriage - twice - and decided it just wasn't for her. She wanted to be a pilot but back then, ladies weren't admitted to the Imperial Academy. She's a pretty good flyer, though. Used to swoop race when she was young. And she loves betting on anything. Her parents left her a huge sum of money, and she's managed to not lose it despite her passion for gambling."

"Wow. I used to swoop race. Before I became a smuggler. Hey, I don't recommend it as a career choice for anyone who wants to live a long and healthy life."

"She was also a Rebel spy back in the day. Her gambling trips were well known and she could move about freely."

"She's quite the character," Han said as he sipped some more ale.

"You've noticed. She actually does have a huge heart and she is generous to a fault, not that you'd know it from talking to her."

"I can appreciate that." More than you know, Han thought.

"Hey, Darred, Han," Arun said as he entered the kitchen.

"How's it going?" Han asked the man who was probably at least five years older than he was, but no more than ten.

"I'll be fine once I grab an ale, thanks."

"You know where to find it. You're not a guest here." Darred pointed at the cooler.

Arun grinned. "Darred reminded me after I'd been around for a while that I was no longer a guest and if I wanted something, I was on my own."

"What was that?" Fick came in right after him.

"I was just telling Han that Arun was no longer a guest and could fend for himself. That goes for you, too."

"You can see how much Darred appreciates us," Fick commented dryly. All four men laughed. It was clear that Darred was a father in law any guy would want to have.

Unlike Leia's biological father, Han thought wryly. Now there's a relative I'll never miss.

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The sabacc tournament took a respite when it was announced that dinner was ready.

"Sola's an excellent cook," Fick said to Han. "My mother couldn't cook her way out of a plastic bag, so I may not be the best judge, but everything I've ever had coming out of her kitchen is fantastic. Ryoo did pick that up from her mother, fortunately, or unfortunately, as you can tell by my ever expanding waistline."

"I do most of the cooking. Leia's upbringing didn't exactly train her to be an ace in the kitchen," Han said. "Fortunately, there's plenty of delivery and takeaway in our immediate neighborhood."

"She's apparently made her reputation in the diplomacy sector," Fick commented. "Leia, that is. Pooja is a senator and she's been part of policy proposals at times."

"I don't know how she does it. The people she tries to get to play her way, I'd have lost patience with them long ago and might have even worked out my blaster on 'em."

"This is why I became an architect. I only have to argue with clients over costs," Darred said. "Otherwise, it's a pretty calm job, provided projects stay on schedule. I try to treat my crews as partners, and in return, I get good work from them, and I pay them top amounts."

"Seems to have worked for you," Han remarked. "I don't know if you know, but I was commissioned as a general for a short time in the Rebel army. I found the best way to get 'em to do what I wanted was to make 'em laugh and treat 'em as equals, and they'd be happy about doing what I wanted. But I resigned my commission after our honeymoon. I didn't see myself in uniform for the rest of my life, and I can't stand the Minister of Defense."

"It really is all about reaching into a person's emotions," Darred agreed. "You connect with them, it makes them feel a part of things that are bigger than themselves."

"Yeah, well, it took a civil war for me to get there," Han admitted. "And meeting the right woman didn't hurt."

"She's quite the spitfire, your Leia," Darred said. "Very much like her mother. Strong willed."

"You have no idea," Han answered wryly.

"I know how much Sola hoped that Padme would find someone to settle down with, but I have to say that once she did, she'd have had a hard time picking a worse partner. Anakin always made me feel off center. I kept my mouth shut, because I love Sola, but his idea of a marriage was that of being away on missions for months at a time and then coming home for a couple days of great sex and then he's off again on some quest. He had a way about him that didn't set right with me. It was a long time before I knew he'd become a Sith, but I have to say I wasn't that surprised. He was arrogant and obnoxious, and his flowery declarations of love for Padme didn't cover it up. It was originally told to Sola that her sister died from losing her will to live. I begged to disagree, and when at long last we were allowed to have her autopsied, it was found that she'd been Force-strangled. Padme had strong survival instincts. I can't see her losing her will to live and fight. And now we know."

"And now we know," Han said. "I have to admit that my work in ferrying cargo keeps me away sometimes, but most of the time, I make it home for dinner."

"And that's important, especially now that you're going to have a family," Darred said to him.

"I also train pilot recruits and we go off world, but the longest would be a week," Han informed him.

"But that's different," Arun chimed in. "You don't run off and leave everything for Leia to deal with alone. Anakin didn't do any of the necessary things that keep families going - he never had to deal with paying bills or taking care of a household or any other mundane details of every day life. And I'm sure that had he survived, he'd have left Padme on her own to deal with the reality of having kids."

"And here, I just thought the guy was an asshole," Han said.

"In a nutshell, yes," Fick said, laughing.

"I like that," Darred nodded in agreement.

"I don't care what you like," scoffed the voice of an older woman. "I'm bored as the nine hells in there. Let's get some sabacc going." It was Aunt Emerla. Her piercing gaze went to Han. "Don't forget, Han. I have a long memory and I hold grudges."

Han grinned. "A grudge match. My favorite kind."

"Mine, too," Emerla agreed. "I prefer, however, to be the grudge-or as opposed to the grudge-ee."

"Don't we all?" Han said as they began taking their places at the kitchen table.

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"I fold," Han said as Emerla took the sabacc pot. He'd lost the final, but he had won enough hand pots that he hadn't lost much money.

"Sorry, boy," Emerla said, grinning wickedly.

"No, you're not!" Han shot back, laughing.

"You're right, I'm not. How long are you and Leia staying?"

"We're having breakfast with Sola tomorrow, and then we're off."

"Pity. First real opponent I've had in a long time." Emerla studied him.

"Do I have food on my face?" Han asked, not sure what the older woman was looking at.

"No. I've seen you before. I know I have. You were never at my table, but you won the tournament at Bespin several times. How about entering this year?"

"Sorry, Emerla. We've got a baby on the way, and I need to make sure Leia doesn't overdo it."

"Yes, well, she's a lot like Padme, so good luck with that one," Emerla said dryly. "There's a professional circuit tournament on Coruscant in eight weeks' time. Maybe now I have an excuse to go there."

"You don't ordinarily play that one?" Han knew about it, but it was strictly professional players. No amateurs, regardless of luck or talent, were permitted. The entrance fee was 20,000 credits.

"Not always. The professional players are so dull. But perhaps you'd like a rematch?"

"Always."

"Good. Safe home."

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"I can't believe we're gonna need all this stuff," Han groaned as he packed the last of the baby gifts into the bins of the _Falcon_.

"I can't, either, but then again, it's not like I have any experience with motherhood," Leia said.

"I still need to put crash webbing in my old girl, but tomorrow, we'll be on our way to Serob Six, where we'll just unwind for a couple days. I like your family a lot, Leia. They treat me like I'm one of them."

"That's because you are one of them."

"Emerla said something to me at the end of the game last night, and it kind of resonated."

"What was that?"

"Well, it wasn't 'screw you.' Although she did say that more than once. No, she was saying, we're just flashes of light in the universe, no more, no less. So you make use of whatever fuel you've got and keep burning as long as you can." He smiled. "We're having a baby. What better way to keep the lights on?"

Leia gave him her brightest smile. "I love you, you scoundrel."

"I know, your Worshipness."

The _Falcon's_ engines began to whine softly as it accelerated skyward and then to lightspeed, in its own flash of light.


End file.
